The present invention relates to a squeegee device for cleaning purposes and particularly to a flexible squeegee device suitable for use in cleaning flat as well as curved surfaces.
Common squeegee type cleaning devices consist of an elongated rubber-like strip member mounted on a frame and a handle is, in turn, mounted perpendicular to the centre of the frame to form a T-shaped structure. Such squeegee devices are effective for cleaning a flat surface, for example, a window pane. However, it is not suitable for cleaning curved surfaces such as modern automobile windows and/or automobile body. Furthermore, such cleaning devices can only operate in the direction along the axis of the handle. In use, the operator grips the handle and presses the strip member on the flat surface to be cleaned and slides the strip member over the surface towards the end of the handle. Thus, the cleaning operation is achieved in each single pulling action only.
Some squeegee devices provide a pressure joint such as a ball joint between the handle and the strip frame so that the strip member can be rotated to a position in any angle relative to the handle. Such squeegee devices can be operated in the pull-in direction as described above as well as in a side-by-side sweeping motion over the surface to be cleaned. However, such known squeegee devices suffer the main drawback that the joint between the strip member mounting frame and the handle is not rugged. After using them for a relatively short period of time, the joint would become loosen beyond repair and become freely rotatable or merely become broken due to the high twisting force exerted at the joint during use.